


Good for Nothing, No Trumpets in Olivia, Songwriter Julian

by aclosetlarryshipper



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Julian Bulian, M/M, Tbh this is half larry, Why didn't he give Harry the trumpets, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 11:38:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aclosetlarryshipper/pseuds/aclosetlarryshipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the middle of tour, Niall develops a crush on a certain songwriter. Louis makes it his mission to get them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good for Nothing, No Trumpets in Olivia, Songwriter Julian

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Canon compliant. Niall has a new crush. It may or may not be a man. It may or may not be Julian. Okay, it's Julian. He goes to Louis and Harry for advice (which might have been a terrible idea, Harry literally peed on Louis and now they're engaged; not the best pickup to be honest). They decide to play matchmaker and set them up. Tiny angst, self exploration and first time with a man ensue.
> 
> It's a hiatus and I deserve Nulian.
> 
> There's a quick mention of someone throwing a comb at someone, but I don't think it would be too triggering for anyone!

Niall has never felt like this before.

He’s never been so entranced by someone’s diligent work ethic, by their endless creativity, by their wild and unruly curls.

No, Niall isn’t in love with Harry. Which is good, because Louis would laugh and then make out with Harry in an inappropriate setting just to rub it in his face that Harry is completely off limits. Which, whatever. Niall isn’t in love with Harry.

He’s in love with Julian.

It’s fairly recent, an unexpected revelation that dawned on him when they were both drunk off whiskey sours. Niall was struck by a sudden desire to tuck Julian’s hair behind his ear, to tug on it until he leaned in close, to  _ hold  _ him as they both struggled to stay standing.

That was exactly a week ago. He’d waited for the feeling to subside, but now, as they’re messing around writing pointless lyrics in a mostly-empty hotel room, Niall’s hit with the same surge of need.

He stands quickly once Julian turns to ask him how he feels about “Snake habitat, rat a tat tat.”

“I’ve gotta go ask Louis something,” Niall blurts out. He hurries from the room and immediately pulls out his phone.

“What is it, Niall?” Louis answers after a few rings. He sounds out of breath, as though he might have just gotten back from a football session.

“I need to talk to someone who has experience with desiring... curls... between their fingers,” Niall blurts. It didn’t come out exactly the way he wanted it to, but he doesn’t think Louis will judge him too harshly.

“Got curls between my fingers right now. Which floor are you on?” Louis asks. Definitely not football, then.

Niall continues down the hall to the elevator, eyes roaming over the 412 and 413 he passes. “Fourth floor.”

“We’re on the seventh,” Louis tells him. “723. And I’m going to put pants on to let you in. Please know I wouldn’t do that for just  _ anyone.” _

“Yeah, yeah,” Niall rolls his eyes as he pushes the button for the elevator. It dings immediately and he steps in. “I know you love me. I’m coming up.”

From the elevator, it’s a quick walk down the hallway. Niall knocks and is subjected to half a minute of waiting before Louis cracks open the door.

“Harry’s naked,” Louis points out, unnecessarily.

“When is he not?” Niall counters. He pushes through the door and perches himself at the edge of their bed. Louis climbs back under the covers and opens his arm for Harry to cuddle into, a position Niall assumes he interrupted. He only feels a little bit guilty.

“So, um,” Niall begins.

“Do you want curls between your fingers or your legs?” Louis asks, straight to the point. Harry laughs into his shoulder and his fingers sneak up above the blanket, absently beginning to trace the lettering of Louis’  _ it is what it is  _ tattoo.

“I guess, maybe both,” Niall admits.

“Who’s the lucky lady?” Louis asks. Harry nudges his nose into Louis’ shoulder so he begins to card his fingers through Harry’s hair, away from his face. It gives Niall an odd sinking feeling in his chest. He’d like that. He wants to push Julian’s hair from his face. He wants Julian to look at him like that.

“You’ll laugh,” Niall says.

“Why would I laugh at love?” Louis questions. He pulls Harry closer and gives him a kiss to the forehead, and even if the room didn’t reek of sex, Niall would know they’d just finished from how close they are, how they seem to gravitate towards each other naturally.

It makes Niall feel lonely. But it also gives him the courage to speak up. “I think I’m in love with Julian.”

Louis’ fingers pause and Harry’s eyes fly open.

“Julian?” Harry asks. “ Good for nothing, no trumpets in Olivia, songwriter Julian ?”

“Yes, that Julian,” Niall crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t know why, but I just want to touch his hair _ all _ the time now.”

“Ah,” Louis nods, recovering from his shock quickly.  “So you wanted to know if I couldn’t keep my hands out of Harry’s curls when I fell in love with him? Is that what you want to know?”

Niall shrugs.

“Well,” Louis continues. “Curls are very persuasive. If you’re feeling something for Julian’s curls, that doesn’t sound entirely platonic to me. Because they’re not even nice curls, no offense. Harry’s beat them five times over.”

“Hey,” Niall complains just as Harry kisses Louis’ jaw in thanks.

“What I’m saying is, you need to get him alone. Talk to him a little, maybe make a move that could or could  _ not  _ be taken as a come on. An experiment, in a way.”

“What’s a move that could or could not be taken as a come on?” Niall asks, confused.

“I don’t know. Harry peed on me and then we were engaged. I’m not exactly on the prowl anymore,” Louis says. 

“Maybe… maybe I could touch his hair. Platonic friends don’t touch each other’s hair, right? How should I touch his hair?” Niall panics.

Louis’ fingers still. “Probably not like this. A little too forward.”

“What if I…” Niall blushes. “If we’re close. And one of us is on guitar, or something. And then I just… lean in.”

“Jesus, Niall. You’ve never even hinted to him that you like him! You can’t just go in for a kiss without establishing there’s a mutual attraction,” Louis shakes his head.

“Well, I’m not getting much positive feedback here! How did you know it was time to kiss each other?” Niall asks.

“I just went for it,” Harry grins into Louis’ chest. “Louis was too easy. Could tell he wanted me from the way he touched my curls.”

Niall stands and throws his hands up in the air. “You two make no sense! Curls, then no curls! Don’t go for it,  _ do _ go for it! I give up. Thanks for being no help at all! Next time I’ll ask Liam.”

“Niall,” Louis laughs. “Don’t worry. I’m going to think of a plan. We’ll get you and Julian Bulian alone together. You’ll have his curls between your fingers in no time. Just you wait.”

~

_ In no time  _ comes later the next day. Niall’s just gotten into the makeshift studio for a “band meeting” to discuss the upcoming release of Made in the AM. Niall’s still a little sleepy, having been awakened from a pleasant nap.

“There he is!” Louis jumps up as Niall closes the door behind him. Harry and Julian are both perched on the couch at the edge of the bed, a computer on Julian’s lap.

“Liam just texted me that he can’t make it in. A terrible case of food poisoning. It’s just us. Us and Julian.”

Niall’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t let his face show much. He hadn’t prepared to face Julian  _ today!  _ He might have brushed his teeth after his nap if he knew that was the case.

“What are we meant to be discussing?” Niall asks.

“The fucking trumpets,” Harry answers. “There’s still time to add them!”

“Julian thought it was a bad idea, I thought?” Niall yawns. He collapses on the bed and rolls so he can see the computer screen from behind them.

“I do,” Julian confirms. He turns to send Niall a grateful smile and Niall’s stomach is immediately filled with butterflies.

“Well…” Niall gulps. “I guess that means we shouldn’t. Julian knows best right?”

Harry turns to give him a death glare, apparently unprepared for Niall to take the opposing side. “We’re a band, Niall. A team. Thanks for the support.”

Louis nods and grabs Harry’s hands, pulling him into a standing position. “A good band mate would agree with you. Let’s go, baby.”

They immediately turn to the door, leaving Niall and Julian all alone once Louis’s thrown a quick wink over his shoulder. Solitude was the point, but Niall suddenly feels nervous.

He’s about to work up the nerve to go sit next to Julian when Julian stands and stretches.

“Guess there’s no need for a meeting after all then, yeah?”

Niall watches him go with a frown on his face. He didn’t get to touch even _ one _ curl.

~

After the setup failure, Louis becomes relentless. 

He sends Julian into Niall's dressing room during the last hour before showtimes, tricks Niall into serving Julian his room service that Louis stole from hotel staff, and even forces the two of them into a cramped restroom, for which Niall definitely does not appreciate the sentiment.

Not everyone can find their love in the toilets.

It all comes to a head before a show. Niall’s stretched on his back in Harry and Louis’ dressing room, an arm thrown over his eyes in dramatic despair.

“I don’t know why nothing is working,” Louis complains from Harry’s lap at the other end of the couch. He’s working a comb through Harry’s wet curls and sprays them with detangler whenever he gets to a knot.

“Maybe it’s Niall’s fault,” Harry suggests, wincing as Louis gets to a particularly difficult tangle.

“Yeah, Niall. What have you been saying to him?” Louis asks.

“I don’t know what to say! That’s the thing,” Niall laments. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“Just tell him you like him,” Harry suggests. “Or kiss him. That’s what I did with Louis.”

“No! You can’t just kiss him,” Louis says, his voice firm. “You can lean in halfway, but if he doesn’t close the gap then you need to stop.”

Niall frowns. “Why can’t it be as easy for everyone else as it was for you two?”

Louis stops combing and he and Harry both turn to glare at Niall at the same time.

“Ugh,” Niall sinks further into the couch. “You know what I mean! You two are so sure of each other. That’s what I meant.”

Louis doesn’t resume his combing.

“Sorry!” Niall stands and hurries to the door. “Don’t throw that comb at--”

Harry goes on stage with his hair only half detangled.

~

The next time Niall finds Julian alone is on his own volition.

He knocks on his hotel room's door and waits with his lip between his teeth as he contemplates running down the hall to make a quick escape.

“Hey,” Julian opens the door wearing only shorts. Niall’s throat dries out.

“Hey,” Niall answers. His voice comes out higher than average.

“What’s going on?” Julian asks. “Is everything alright?”

Niall nods. Julian gives him an inquisitive stare and opens the door further.

Niall steps inside and is instantly calmed by Julian’s cologne. It’s faint, but it’s there. He loves his smell.

“I needed to talk to you,” Niall tells him honestly. “There’s something I’ve really wanted to get off my chest.”

“I think I know what this is about,” Julian shakes his head. he sits at the edge of the bed and pats the spot next to him for Niall. “I think I knew as soon as Louis called the band meeting that Liam ditched.”

“Oh… really?” Niall feels his heart pump faster. “You’ve known?”

Julian scoots a bit closer, the eye contact intense. “It’s a little bit obvious, Niall. I know you. I’ve worked with you for years.”

“Oh God,” Niall whispers. He must have had a crush for years and hid it terribly. Julian doesn’t look too put off, though, more accepting than anything.

“How do you feel about it, then?” Niall asks. 

“I think that, if you’re in, then I’m in."  


Niall can’t believe his ears. He wets his lips and leans in a bit, all too aware of how close they are.

Remembering Louis’ advice, he waits for Julian to lean in and finish the kiss. His top lip tickles because of his mustache, but it feels right. It’s exciting and feels like a beginning and Niall is forced to break of only moments later, laughing a bit at how silly he’d been to worry when obviously this could have been a thing for a  _ while. _

Julian smiles back and touches his finger to his bottom lip.

Niall reaches for a curl and tucks it behind his ear, unable to hide his smile.

“That was a pleasant surprise,” Julian laughs.

“Yeah?” Niall asks. He brings his palms down to Julian’s shoulders and pushes him to the bed, then moves to straddle him. “I thought you said it was obvious, though.”

Julian laughs and leans up for another prefect kiss. 

“Not at all, actually! I thought you came in here to talk about the trumpets.”

Niall's jaw drops. Julian wraps his arms around his waist to pull him closer, recognizing the distress on his face.

"I like this idea much better, though. Fuck the trumpets."

 


End file.
